Bastgen Berncastel-Cueser Weisenstein Riesling Spatlese Trocken is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Bright, clean, fresh and zesty. Grapefruit like flavors. Fruity aromas and a nice minerality, typical of the Riesling grape grown on blue slate soil. Round, rich and a very long finish. The grapes for this wine are vigorously selected. Botrytis is not tolerated. At harvest the grapes are fully ripened, have a golden color, and a soft tartness. After a long spontaneous fermentation in a traditional 1000L barrel, the wine just reaches the dry stage. This gives the wine a creamy structure that interplays with ripe yellow and exotic fruit aromas.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
Bastgen Blauschiefer Riesling is 100 percent Riesling.
Bright, clean, fresh and zesty. Grapefruit like flavors. Fruity aromas and a nice minerality, typical of the Riesling grape grown on blue slate soil. Round, rich and a very long finish.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
Review:
"Very enticing nose of ripe pear with some white peach and floral aromas! All the elegance and delicacy we expect from high-quality Mosel riesling, but this light-bodied and dry beauty is only an entry-level wine! Long, refreshing and delicate finish. This will be a bargain in all the markets it reaches. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap. "
- James Sucking (November 2023), 92 pts
Bastgen Blauschiefer Riesling is 100 percent Riesling.
Bright, clean, fresh and zesty. Grapefruit like flavors. Fruity aromas and a nice minerality, typical of the Riesling grape grown on blue slate soil. Round, rich and a very long finish.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty. Excellent with oysters, seafood and deliciously refreshing on it's own.
Scents and flavors of peach and yellow plum, citrus and mineral notes. Extremely long, white peach finish.
This wine is a 100 case Cuvee produced from the steepest part of the Paulinschofberger vineyard, 65 % slope. Vine age is 105 years old. "Grosses Gewachs" Großes Gewächs: (great growth = Grand cru), a designation used by VDP members in all regions except Mosel and Rheingau to designate top-level dry wines from selected sites (the highest level of quality). Dry means dry on the palate. The maximum yield is 50 hl/ha, from a classified vineyard. The natural minimum density of must is around 90° Oechsle. The wines are produced using exclusively traditional production methods. The wines are tested and approved by a test body before and after bottling. Hand Harvest (no machine harvest). The wine must not be released before September the year after it was made.
Review:
"In spite of the abundant yellow fruit aromas (think Mirabelle plums more than peaches), this is a very cool and sleek style of Mosel GG with great herbal freshness. Although this has excellent concentration, it definitely needs time to give its best due to the bone-dry style. Quite a steely, tightly wound finish, but very long. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. - Stuart PIGOTT (Senior Editor)" - James Suckling (August 30th 2024), 95 pts
Bastgen Kestener Paulinshofberg Riesling Spatlese is 100 percent Riesling.
Yellow color with green highlights.
Beautiful peach aromas on the nose, rich and ripe fruits on the mouth with a refreshing acidity and honey notes. A very pleasing wine.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
Scents and flavors of peach and yellow plum, citrus and mineral notes. Extremely long, white peach finish.
This wine is a 100 case Cuvee produced from the steepest part of the Paulinschofberger vineyard, 65 % slope. Vine age is 105 years old. "Grosses Gewachs" Großes Gewächs: (great growth = Grand cru), a designation used by VDP members in all regions except Mosel and Rheingau to designate top-level dry wines from selected sites (the highest level of quality). Dry means dry on the palate. The maximum yield is 50 hl/ha, from a classified vineyard. The natural minimum density of must is around 90° Oechsle. The wines are produced using exclusively traditional production methods. The wines are tested and approved by a test body before and after bottling. Hand Harvest (no machine harvest). The wine must not be released before September the year after it was made.
Review:
"Very smoky nose of sealing wax and candied citrus. This medium-bodied dry riesling is strikingly original and has good balance on the impressively structured palate, but it does lack a bit of charm. Long, firm finish. May well show better after further bottle age. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - Stuart PIGOTT (Senior Editor)" - James Suckling (November 9th 2023), 91 pts
Lingua Franca The Plow Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
A large proportion of fruit from some of our finest sites, 48% coming from Blocks 1 - 3, planted with PN777 clone. Another 44% is sourced from two blocks of the bold PN 115. The elegant and nuanced PN777 Pinot Noir grown on Gelderman-Jory soils creates the top notes of mineral, rose petal and savory elements while the PN115 provides the fruit, body and weight of the wine.
Loin of lamb, Filet Mignon, veal chop, veal scallopini, pasta with Bolognese sauce, charcuterie, hard cheeses, hamburger, Viennese boiled beef (Tafelspitz), Wienerschnitzel, Kalbi, Bulgogi. Teriyaki, Vietnamese shaking beef, Chinese broccoli beef or Feast of the Immortals? Experimentation is welcome!
Review:
The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate saw 20% whole clusters and 20% new oak. A representation of the vineyard, the blend can vary from year to year. The 2022 is a ripe ruby color and opens to notes of spice and ripe raspberries. Medium-bodied, it’s a great appellation wine, with ripe tannins and a great finish. Drink 2024-2036. A few thousand cases were produced.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
When we set out to produce Pinot Noir at Donelan Family Wines, we wanted to make a wine that embraces our favorite aspects of great Pinot from Sonoma County. The journey has taken us to the Two Brothers Pinot Noir where we believe terroir and technique have met at a beautiful crossroads. The composition of the Two Brothers wine is rooted heavily in Bennett Valley and Russian River Valley lending spice and earth to the nose, while the Sonoma Coast fruit gives an aromatic lift to the wine and brings length to the palate.
Named after siblings Tripp and Cushing Donelan, the Two Brothers Pinot Noir has become a fan favorite of our customers. It’s an extremely versatile wine. For one, it’s ready to drink upon release, but will also age beautifully for years if you throw a few bottles in your cellar. Our preferred food pairing with the Two Bros is always a game bird. Turkey, wings, quail, dove, or duck recipes are all super complimentary with this Pinot Noir’s dark fruit, spice, and freshness. We tend to recommend this wine for Thanksgiving every year.
Aromas recall a bouquet of rose petals and gingersnaps. A full, fleshy mouth-feel on the mid-palate with a beautiful fruit composition of plum sauce, cranberries, and fresh flowers.
Review:
Always a super-expressive wine, and in 2023 it truly delivers, showing pure, vibrant red fruit laced with brown baking spices and smoky clove. The palate is beautifully deep and penetrating, carrying impressive flavour intensity through to a long, mineral-driven, medium-bodied finish. Apple-skin tannins and savoury brown spice notes linger effortlessly, giving the wine both grip and persistence. Two Brothers is sourced from prime vineyard sites across Sonoma County, including Mardikian, Devoto, Bucher and Klopp in the Russian River Valley, along with Henry David Vineyard in Bennett Valley. The wine undergoes native fermentation, with 39% new French oak, and is aged for 17 months, incorporating approximately 16% whole clusters. - Jonathan CRISTALDI"
Decanter (January 5th 2026), 95 points